Sweetheart
by Superagaentv
Summary: Round 7, Quittitch league competition.


Pairing: Frank and Alice aka: H.M.S Aurora Borealis

WC: 1290

* * *

There was nothing anyone could do when _she_ walked into the room to get his attention.

It was the start of fourth year when he had accidentally brushed pashed her in the hall, a wave of electricity rippling through him like he had been struck by lightning, suddenly losing his ability to speak. All for a pair of bright blue eyes that sat upon a freckle face that didn't know he existed.

"Hi Frank."

He blinked, mouth going dry as he realized she was talking to him. His mind felt frozen in time, but he managed a smile.

"Hi Alice."

Silence. He truly didn't know what to say. If someone had told him that speaking to a girl would leave him tongue tied, he would have hexed them; but that version of himself had never met Alice Torsi before.

"Um," she started, tucking a strand of honey blond hair behind her ear. "You forgot this in Potions."

He looked down at what she was holding, and he felt a blush rise across his nose, over his cheek bones and spreading to the far reaches of his ears. "Oh, thanks."

 _What an idiot,_ he thought angrily as he stared at the piece of paper sticking out of his Dark Arts textbook. He had Sirius had been passing notes back in forth in class, and the black family prodigy had felt the need to make little obscene drawings to make his point.

"I'll…see you at practice."

She was walking away, with her robes billowing out gently behind her like a fresh summer breeze and her hair moving against the self-made wind. As he watched her go, which was in and of itself a pleasure, he knew there was something he was missing.

"Hey Frank," Miller Fawley teased, "Why the… _longface_?"

"Ha!" He chortled, "Haven't heard that one before."

/

"Great job everyone." James was saying, sitting on his broom rather lazily. "I think we are done for the night." Frank could not have been more overjoyed; James had been working them hard to prep for the upcoming game with the Slytherins. "Let's go before those nasty greens get here."

There were a few snickers in the group as they came back to earth, but Frank was hardly paying attention to his captain as Alice moved in the corner of his eye.

 _Here's my chance,_ he thought hastily.

"Alice," As he spoke, his voice cracked like a block of overly ripe cheese – but it got her attention. "Wait up." He didn't think she would actually consider turning around, or even staying, but she did. "I..uh."

"How do you think practice went?" she asked, offering him a smile as if she knew how hard this was for him.

"We could have done a bit more, I think, but James has been running us hard since we lost." He replied easily, much to his surprise. "But I didn't really want to talk shop."

"Oh?" The edges of her lips twitched in what he would have said was a smirk, a knowing twinkle formed in her eyes. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Uh," Stammering, he started to babble on about potions rather than stand there and talk nonsense.

"That potion's homework is difficult, I mean, not everyone would know how to make a polyjuice potion."

She gave him a funny look, "We aren't learning about polyjuice potions this term."

It was a polite way of saying: we learned that years ago.

"Right, I mean." His mind was blank, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth as he tried to connect the dots of her freckles. "Merlin, I need help."

"Probably."

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

 _I didn't say anything aloud, did I?_

"You said you needed help, I agreed." Alice gave him a gentle smile as he felt laughter bubbling in his throat.

"I can't believe I said that." Rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, he chuckled at himself.

 _At this rate I might actually end up alone._

"Are you coming to the dance?" Alice inquired, her voice totally at ease and her features didn't indicate she was uncomfortable.

The Hufflepuffs had asked permission to hold a dance, for no particular reason, and the Headmaster had agreed. The theme was kept under wraps, so no one actually knew what wacky idea was coming out of the kitchen this time. Truthfully, a dance was what the student's needed after the increase in attacks – verbally and physically – on muggle born witches and wizards in the school.

"I would like to, but," he stopped himself before he could say anything embarrassing like _I'll probably go alone._ "I have to stu-

"Why don't you come with me?" He felt as if she had thrown him in the Black Lake – and he must have looked it too because she giggled, not walking in a straight line as she did so. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh – it's just…"

Reaching out a hand quickly to prevent her from bumping into a green and silver uniform, he pulled her closer without meaning to, so close that he was sure she would be able to hear _and_ _feel_ his poor heart about to explode from his chest. "It's just what?"

"I've been waiting for you to ask me out for ages." Her reply, though frank and somewhat bashful, made him smile.

"How could you possibly know that?" he barked, smiling despite himself – she hadn't moved away; and this was the closest he had ever been to this girl.

"Everyone knows it." Came a voice from behind them. "You'll probably end up as school sweethearts."

"James," Frank growled, not turning his head to deal with the prankster.

"Just say you'll go to the dance with her, Merlin knows she waited long enough." James huffed, not moving an inch.

Frank, turning a deeper shade of red, nodded. "I'd love to go with you."

"Excellent," she beamed, touching his arm. "You'll pick you up at 8."

"We are in the same dorm." Frank gentle reminded her.

"It's a date, Frank." Alice chided softly, "Just show up in dress robes and bring a flower, I like roses."

As she walked away, he barely felt the slap of James' hand on his shoulder; all he could think about is how cute the dimple sin her cheeks were as she glanced back over her shoulder.

"Do you really think we'll end up sweethearts?" Frank asked his friend, making the boy groan.

"Yes, I feel sickened about it already." James muttered, but Frank didn't feel or share his misery.

/

Sitting, titling his head to the side, he saw her.

There was nothing anyone could do when _she_ walked into the room to get his attention.

Every time he brushed past her in the room, or in the hall, a wave of electricity rippling through him like he had been struck by lightning, suddenly losing his ability to speak. All for a pair of haunted blue eyes that sat upon a once freckled face.

Opening his mouth, he wanted to speak – but couldn't.

He didn't know her name.

Sometimes he felt as if he had known her forever.

Sometimes it felt as if she was watching him back, waiting for him – but he didn't know what she was waiting for.

She had white hair and a pretty smile, when she smiled – but she didn't smile anymore.

No one in this ward ever smiled anymore.

"Sweetheart." He mumbled, his lips quivering.

"Mr. Longbottom," the healer gentle touched his arm. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I miss…my sweetheart."

All he could do was sit and watch this woman as she walked by, her absent eyes searching for something that she would be waiting for, for a long time.


End file.
